Pillow Fight
by Master-Sora
Summary: Mild SxS set during their childhood at the orphanage. Contains: Preteen angst, brutal abuse with pillows, the beach, a promise and sweet fluff.


**Disclaimer**: Not mine. Go away.

**Author's Notes**: Well, there's not much to say about this fic. It's another 'when they were kids' one, though this one is featured when the gang is a little older. Perhaps they are ten or eleven, if a little older. And I imagine that Seifer and Squall were friends when they were younger, because they kind of are in the game. So, this is just a drabble fic about the orphanage days.

**Warnings**: Hints of SxS; fluff.

(break)

"I said that we're going to go to the beach!" The small blond boy's eyes blazed as he crossed his arms, standing up to his full height to look imposing.

"And I said, I'm not coming," explained the other in a quiet voice. The impassive boy on the bed was leaning against the headboard, his arms crossed as well, in an almost reflective position.

"You're just being stupid," Seifer let a short smirk roll onto his face. His weight shifted onto one leg as he slung out a hip, cocking his head to one side as he said pointedly, "But that's too bad because you're coming."

Squall's lips tugged into a small frown as he narrowed his eyes quizzically. Just what was that blond going on about?

Having caught the look, Seifer only shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and strode towards the brunet. He stopped in front of the bed, turned a bit to the side, and pointed at the door authoritatively. His muscles visibly twitched when all Squall did was close his eyes and look the other way.

This meant war.

In one simple, quick movement, the blond had pulled a pillow from underneath Squall, holding it high over his head as his jade eyes flickered. Then, he forcefully connected it to the side of the brunet's head, knocking him forward and onto his stomach. When the fallen boy rolled over, Seifer did not hesitate to continue the assault. He hit him repeatedly, looking very triumphant.

"Get," he told Squall, smacking him in the gut with the pillow. "You're going whether you like it or not."

"Stop it," the brunet growled as the blond climbed on the bed, hovering over him with that devious look plastered onto his face. But when the blond went to take another swing, Squall punched the pillow roughly, sending fluffy white feathers askew.

Seifer blinked in confusion, and in the short moment that he had ceased fire, Squall had grabbed a pillow as well. With a dignified huff, the smaller of the two struck the blond roughly across his face.

"Hey!" Seifer shouted, hitting him back with the pillow.

Feathers were flying every which way as the two boys continued to swing at each other. The heat eventually began to die, and in this time, there was soft laughter. The blows continued, both finding their way into the middle of the bedroom where the carpet was littered with pillow fluff and a lamp that managed to get knocked over during their battle.

"Boys?" Both boys stopped mid-swing to look at the opened door, Matron standing there with a brow raised. "What is going on here?"

Squall dropped the pillow and looked to the floor, falling silent as their motherly figure stepped into the room, her long black hair billowing behind her. Seifer, on the other hand, assessed the mess that they had made before glancing at the pillow in his hands to see what damage had been done, making sure that there was not any reason that they could be punished.

"Is that Selphie's lamp?" asked the young woman, staring at the lamp that was broken and unplugged beside a rather dense pile of feathers. "Seifer, I sent you to get Squall, not to have you two break everything."

"It's not broken," the blond explained easily, walking over to the mess of plastic and glass. "It's just," he frowned, "physically impaired."

Matron muffled a giggle with her hand, shaking her head from side to side exasperatedly. "We'll deal with this later," she told them carefully. She then motioned them out of the room, "They're all waiting for you by the entrance. You two can explain to Selphie what happened to her favorite lamp."

Squall nodded absently, following the older blond out of the bedroom and down the hall. Seifer was walking in time with Matron; he must have been feeling like her equal even though he was in trouble.

They met up with everyone not a minute later, the group of anxious kids giving them frustrated looks. They commented on how long they had been waiting and how annoying they were for holding them up, using dramatic gestures to help emphasize their tale of time.

After much discussion, pushing, bounding, and flailing, the entire lot had made it to their long awaited destination. None too eagerly, the children rushed along the white sand to stick their bare feet in the ocean, splashing and laughing with large smiles. Well, all of the kids except for Seifer and Squall.

Matron scolded the two with a shake of her head, "You're cleaning up that mess later. I'll give you brooms and a garbage bag. Make sure to get everything. I'll help you with the glass, though."

"Okay."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good," she nodded and waved her hand, "Now go play." With a caring smile, she saw them off.

Seifer and Squall walked together in silence for a while, leaving their footprints in the sand as they traveled towards the large pile of rocks that the children enjoyed using as forts. It was their spot; their large rock wall that stopped all trespassing adults from getting to them.

Squall sat down on a boulder, kicking his bare feet as he stared off into the ocean where the other children splashed about. His eyes were unfocused, thought taking him away as he watched the rhythmic waves hit the shore. Seifer stood beside him, tossing a small rock up and down, catching it repeatedly, never once missing. Together they remained in a companionable silence, both gazing at the expanse of blue.

"Hey," Seifer said finally, breaking Squall from his thoughts. "You know," he frowned a bit, "Someday, we're going to get out of here."

Squall spared the blond a look, giving him a single nod before turning back to the ocean, his fingers clutching the boulder as his feet swung.

"We're going to be warriors, right? We'll go to that school Cid runs and be his best." Seifer snatched the small rock he had been tossing right out of the air, turning to the brunet with a full grin on his face, "And we'll run the place! The whole world will know who we are!"

"Do you think so?" Squall asked, tilting his head a bit.

"I know so," Seifer corrected, the smugness behind his voice very evident. When the brunet nodded in response, he let the grin fade to a small smile. "We practice a lot, and we're really good," he threw the rock as far as he could, then he watched it splash into the ocean and sink from the surface, "We'll make a good team."

Squall stopped kicking his feet, turning his head to give the blond a serious look, "Are you sure we'll be together?"

"Of course I'm sure!" he answered without any hint of doubt in his voice.

There was apprehension hidden within the stormy blue eyes of the younger boy, his gaze locked on the depression in the sand from where Seifer previously stood. The curves of his lips were tilted down in a frown as he wondered what the future held.

Seifer thought for a moment before putting a hand on the brunet's shoulder comfortingly, offering him the most genuine in smiles. "Don't look like that, Squally. Smile," he told him hopefully, nudging him a bit.

"Are you really sure?" came the question that seemed to have been plaguing Squall's mind.

"Yeah," Seifer nodded, stepping in front of his friend and poking him in the chest with his index finger. "We're going to make sure we're together."

"But you're," there was a pause before the brunet sighed and continued, "going before me."

"So?" the older boy crossed his arms, quirking a brow, "I'll wait for you."

There was another silence as Squall pondered over the words Seifer said. Finally, he seemed satisfied with the response and nodded, holding out his pinky, "Promise?"

"Sure thing," he said with another smile, locking his own pinky around the smaller. "I promise that we'll be partners."

Squall raised his eyes to connect with the jade gaze, offering him a small smile of his own. "Thank you," he whispered before jumping off of the boulder.

"You'll need me to help you anyway," Seifer explained arrogantly, "You can't live without me." He glanced at the brunet to see his trademark impassive look back on his face and smirked, pushing him playfully. "Come on, shorty. Let's go break the news to Selph that we broke her lamp."

Squall sighed gently, slowly following the blond as he darted towards the ocean where the petite brunette was climbing on top of Irvine. He really hoped that he and Seifer would be partners when they went to Garden, because Seifer was right when he said what he had, even if he would never say it out loud; Squall could not live without him.

"Hey, Selphie! Squall broke your favorite lamp!"

Or maybe he could.


End file.
